


It Takes Time

by itsthedetails



Category: Jonas Brothers
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-18
Updated: 2010-03-18
Packaged: 2017-10-24 03:57:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/258723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsthedetails/pseuds/itsthedetails
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It takes growing apart to bring them together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It Takes Time

The video breaks on a morning Nick can actually sleep late. His call time isn't until the afternoon, so when he wanders into the kitchen at ten o'clock he isn't expecting to find both his parents at home. He can tell almost immediately something is wrong. Both his parents have a phone glued to their ear; his mother is talking fast, but far too low and frenzied for him to hear and his father is in the small alcove off the kitchen sitting at a small desk with a computer, while talking on the phone and reading his Blackberry. His voice is deep and frightening and his face is the color of an over-ripe tomato. Nick's certainly not going to interrupt Dad to find out what's going on.

He can easily hear though that his father is talking about Joe, and the moment he realizes that whatever is going on has something to do with his brother his heart jumps into his chest. He's at his mother's side trying to understand what she's saying just from her side of the conversation, but his head is bringing up pictures of accidents on set and car crashes and he can't focus enough.

Finally, she stops talking long enough for him to ask if Joe's alright.

She must see the panic on his face because she brushes his messy curls from his forehead with a gentle touch and says, "Joe's fine. He's just gotten himself into a bit of a PR nightmare."

Relief floods through his chest, and then, once his heart has stopped racing, he runs for his laptop.

***

As soon as Nick finds the video on Youtube, he texts Joe on set to see how he's doing. As far as candid, unauthorized video is concerned, this is pretty tame. It's not like it's a sex tape. It's shaky, dim video of a party including lots of drunken people and several more people smoking pot. Technically, Joe's not on camera with a cup in hand or taking a hit from the bong, but he is hanging out, smiling and laughing, and clearly enjoying himself whenever the camera happens to find him. The most damaging visual, is the last forty-five seconds or so of the video. Whoever was filming happened to focus on Joe making out with a girl Nick didn't recognize. She's leaning back against the wall and Joe is pressed up against her. All they're doing is kissing, but when the crowd around them presses in tight, the girl grabs Joe's hand and pulls him from the room and up the nearby staircase. Just before the video cuts out, there is a fuzzy image of Joe being dragged very willing into a bedroom.

Joe responds quickly that he is fine, but doesn't follow up with anything else.

Nick goes to set that afternoon and films his two scheduled scenes, but by the time he arrives Joe is already gone. It seems that has been happening pretty often lately.

It's just after six now and everyone except Joe is sitting around the small table in the conference room at the Jonas Group office, summoned here by their father.

His father hasn't said a word to anyone yet, only tapping away on his Blackberry, but Nick can tell he's annoyed that Joe's late.

His mom's the only one with a smile on her face, though it's obviously forced.

Finally, Joe arrives with an easy stride looking more relaxed than any of them. He grabs a soda from the small fridge and sits next to Nick, greeting everyone like this is any other meeting.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, his father puts down his Blackberry and starts to speak. He looks up, but doesn't even glance at Joe. "Let's get right to it. The attorneys are already working on getting the video taken down from as many sites as they can legally, but we have to face the fact that the damage there is already done."

For the first time since Joe entered the room, his father looks over at him. "Joe, you'll have to give them your _friend's_ name and contact info so they can try to get her to sign a confidentiality agreement. We have to hope it'll be that easy."

Joe cuts his father off, before he can start speaking again, looking only slightly sheepish. "I don't have it. I mean I know her first name, but I only met her that night and I never got her phone number."

Nick cringes, because that's bad. Not bad because it doesn't make things easy for their attorney, but bad because his father's mouth pinches tighter than he's ever seen before and for the first time ever he sees his mother look at one of her children with disappointment.

It takes a moment for his dad to speak again, and Nick's surprised by the utter disdain in his voice. "Well, you'll tell them what you know, and we'll see what they can do with it.” Dad looks away from Joe and continues. “Martha will take care of the PR and publicity. If asked about the video you will either say exactly what Martha has drafted as a response or make no comment at all. Her assistant should email it to everyone this afternoon."

There is a long pause, and Nick thinks his dad is finished, so he starts to move in his seat, but Dad clears his throat and stares down at Joe, who is still looking like the least uncomfortable person at this meeting. "Lastly, Joe you will move back home. You'll go to set and the studio, and any other activity will be approved by either myself or Martha."

Finally, _finally_ , Joe looks up like he cares about what they're discussing, his cheeks flushed in anger and his eyes flashing. "What—what do you mean I'll move home? I'm not moving anywhere. Sure, this whole video thing sucks, but I didn't do anything wrong. Why am I getting treated like a prisoner?"

Their father stares at Joe like he's lost his mind. "You know you have a reputation to uphold and not just for yourself, but for your family. Hanging out with _those_ people—”

Joe's on his feet, obviously frustrated. " _Those_ people are my friends."

"Exactly! Spending time with people that don't share the same values as you leads to temptation. Temptation you obviously cannot resist."

Nick glances to the side to see if Kevin looks as unconformable as Nick feels. His dad and Joe have always had their differences, but he's never seen them argue like this.

Joe's voice pitches deeper as he yells louder." _I_ wasn't drinking and _I_ wasn’t smoking. You know most people don't live their lives the way we do. Am I supposed to just sit home because I might go someplace where there is alcohol or drugs?"

"Of course not, but you can be discreet about your presence among it, and that girl…"

Joe slams his palm to the table and the blunt sound reverberates through the room. "I didn't even fuck her!"

Both Nick and Kevin stare at Joe in shock at hearing him curse like that and their mother finally makes herself heard. "Joseph. You will not use language like that."

Joe looks his father in the eyes as serious as Nick has ever seen him look. "I'm sorry I chose not to live at home until I got married like Kevin, and I'm sorry I'm not the perfect media darling like Nick. We all know Nick's been sleeping with Selena for the past month and no one's had a meeting about that." The entire room freezes, and for a long moment all eyes are on Nick. He can feel heat flush his face and he has to force himself not to let his fingers fly to where his ring hangs around his neck instead of being on his finger. Nick looks at Joe, and he can see he's instantly sorry for letting that fly, but the moment passes and Joe looks back at their father.

"I didn't do anything wrong, and I'm not going to be punished like this.” Throwing his hands up in frustration, his voice continues to rise. “I'm almost twenty-one years old and I’m not going to be told I have to move home or clear with you where I'm going or who I hang out with." Joe takes a deep breath and steadies himself. "I get that being signed with Disney means we have to maintain a certain image and I'll do what I have to, to make this stuff with the video go away, but I won’t be treated like a child."

Joe quickly glances toward Kevin and Nick, silently apologizing for making them sit through this, and then he’s out the door.

***

After Joe's exit, both he and Kevin quickly hightail it out of there. Kevin is on the phone with Danielle almost immediately, heading off to meet her. Nick takes a minute and sits in his truck. His first instinct is to call Joe, because he's his brother and he's sort of proud of him for standing up to Dad, but he's also a little pissed Joe dragged Nick's private business into their argument.

Eventually, Nick just starts the truck and drives. He stops and grabs himself an iced coffee from Starbucks, and while in line he checks his phone for a text from Joe, but nothing comes.

Finally, he goes home. The house is empty; his parents still not back yet. He walks past the room that used to be Joe's and thinks about what the last few months have been like. Kevin got married and moved out, Joe's been doing his own thing since before he officially moved out, but the overt disagreeing with Dad has become an almost constant occurrence recently and Nick—Nick's been making some choices he's not so sure are the right ones.

Being on tour on his own is great, it gives him a taste of freedom he's never had before. Everything revolves around Nick's schedule, interviews and appearances are when he's free, no checking with Joe and Kevin. He gets time to himself when he asks for it, it makes him feel like his choices and decisions are his own rather than someone else's and he really likes it.

When he and Selena start getting close again; he makes a choice without seeking Joe's advice—without telling anyone. It's his decision and his alone. It's the decision to have sex that's more of a rush than the actual sex. He doesn't regret doing it per se, and he's not gonna lie, the sex is pretty good, but he knows he doesn't love her. He knows she's not 'the one,' and if he's honest with himself, having sex with her was to get her back, but once they did it, it was already over again with them.

It's getting late and his parents should be home any minute. He doesn't want to see them, doesn't want to talk to them, especially since he's sure to get a lecture now that Joe put it out there that he's having sex with Selena.

He hurries to the kitchen to grab some dinner before heading back to his room, hoping to avoid his parents for the night.

***

Nick succeeds in missing his parents that night and he's up and out for call early the next morning. Joe's in the makeup trailer when Nick arrives. As soon as he steps through the door, Joe glances up, a look of cautious concern on his face. "Are you mad at me?"

Sighing, he sits in the chair next to Joe's, glancing over to where Casey, the makeup girl is busy at her work table. "Not for anything to do with the video or any of that, but a little bit for what you said last night." He lowers his voice so Casey, can't hear him. "Why'd you have to bring Selena up?"

Joe shifts awkwardly in his seat. "I'm really sorry about that, but you realize everyone already knew, even Mom and Dad. You haven't exactly been discreet."

It's true he hasn't been discreet. He knows everyone knew. He kind of thinks he was subconsciously being obvious on purpose so someone would call him out on it. He just shrugs not really giving Joe an answer. "I guess it is what it is. Just leave me out of your arguments with Dad from now on."

Casey finally finishes whatever she's mixing at her work table and comes around to start sponging at Joe's face. They sit back in silence until Nick can't take it anymore. "What are you going to do about Dad? Have you talked to him?"

Joe shrugs, and Casey slaps his shoulder lightly. "Don't move so much."

"I haven't talked to him, and I'm not going to until he starts treating me differently. Screw all communications coming through him. I talked to Bill, Larry and Martha myself. Their biggest concern is me being linked to the underage drinking and illegal drugs on the tape—which I totally get. The other stuff they're not as concerned about. And they certainly didn't think it was necessary for me to move or become a recluse."

He relaxes hearing that the people working for them don't see this as bleakly as their father does. He sits further back, when Nancy comes over to start his hair. He thought he'd be more relieved, but something about the way Joe looks at him doesn't relieve any of tension he's been carrying around since last night.

***

Late in the afternoon, when filming ends for the day, Kevin rushes off home to Danielle with a smile and a wave. Nick hangs back waiting for Joe. At first he thinks he's missed him since they haven't really been waiting around for each much recently, but as walks closer to the parking lot he sees Joe's car is still here. He wants to talk with Joe again without people around, and honestly he doesn't want to go home to an uncomfortable conversation with his parents.

Joe's talking with a few of the crew members when he spots Nick. He quickly says goodbye and hurries over. There's a weird vibe that's never been between them before. Nick's never felt uncomfortable about asking Joe what his plans are or if he wants to hang out, but now it feels like Joe might not want to have him tag along.

"Nicky, what's up? Where you headed?"

Joe's just Joe, like always, and Nick smiles, realizing how much he’s missed that. "I'm starving, you wanna grab food with me?"

Joe cuffs his arm around Nick's neck and playfully drags him toward into the parking lot. "Absolutely, meet me at the little café by my house. You know, the one on the corner by the post office."

The café is quiet, too early for a dinner crowd, and Nick and Joe sit at a table outside under the awning. Joe orders an unsweetened iced tea and then proceeds to dump like four sugars in it. They talk about the scenes they filmed today and what's on the schedule for tomorrow, avoiding the pink elephant in the room until after they finish their meals and order dessert; chocolate pudding for Joe and sugar free rice pudding for Nick.

Joe is finally the one to bring it up. "You know things are going to be different now."

Nick raises his eyebrows, because he’s not quite sure what Joe means. "I know you and Dad fought, but it's not like you're kicked out of the family. You'll work it out."

Joe's got a tiny bit of chocolate on his lip and Nick can't stop staring at it.

"Of course we'll work it out. We're family, and that won't change, but Nick—I'm not sure I want to keep Dad as my manager anymore, or at least not only him. He looked out for us when we were kids, and we needed that. But he's still treating me like I'm a kid, and I have no say in my career. He doesn't listen when I talk. We'll always be a band, but there are other things I want to do, and not just Dad approved things. He's got stricter restrictions than Disney. You know that guest arc I was gonna do; Dad vetoed it because 'it didn't portray the values a piece of work I'm in should represent.' And I let him, because I was afraid to stand up to him, but not anymore."

He didn't know Dad had put the kibosh on Joe's guest role—how could he not have known that—he thought the scheduling just didn't work out. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Shrugging, Joe takes the last bite of his pudding. "I didn't want to put you in the middle, make you have to take sides."

"You can always tell me things no matter what. You don't have to keep stuff like that to yourself."

Signaling for the check, Joe shrugs off Nick's seriousness and smiles. "Well now that that awkward conversation is over. Want to come by the house? Hang out for a bit?"

Nick realizes it's been weeks since he's been at Joe's house, and for the first time in forever, Nick feels himself grin. "Let's go."

***

The next few weeks are strange. Everyone acts normal, but there's an underlying tension that never seems to go away.

His mom finally pins him down to talk about Selena, and it's the most awkward and uncomfortable conversation of his life. It's worse than getting the birds and bees speech because at least then it had been a glossed over explanation of sex, about how it is an expression of love and don't do it until you're married. Now, Mom's telling him if this is the choice he's made, he needs to respect both himself and his partner—talking about protection from diseases and to always wear a condom. He can barely look her in the face and he wishes he could tell her he hasn't even spoken to Selena for a week, but somehow he doesn't think it would be much of a comfort to Mom.

The only consolation is that it is Mom that talks to him and not Dad.

They all keep working. _JONAS_ is coming along nicely, and they've already got ten episodes in the can. The chaos from the video has died down, and Joe and Dad are on decent speaking terms again.

It all seems to be back to business as usual except Nick has finally noticed that everyone seems to be orbiting around each other, not quite as in touch and on top of each other’s lives as they used to be. Well, everyone except for him and Joe, while they'd been just as adrift as everyone else before, after all this Nick's spending more time than ever with Joe.

Joe's the only one in the family he spends time with on a regular basis outside of work. Nick's gotten to know Joe's friends better, whereas before he barely recognized names when Joe talked about them. They hang out at Joe's house a lot with Jack and Garbo, Nick often crashing on the couch in Joe's room rather than driving home so late.

Before he knows it, it's been over month since Joe's video broke.

***

It's an odd weekend night that Nick is at home without plans. He's in his room with his guitar, working on a new song that he hasn't quite figured out yet, when his mom knocks on the door.

He puts the guitar down, figuring he could use a break anyway and Mom sits on the edge of his bed.

"How's the song coming, Sweetie?"

"I'm stuck on the bridge. It just isn't working. It'll get there though."

He fiddles with his guitar pick, not sure what Mom came in for.

"You were at Joe's quite a bit this week. How are thing's over there?"

"Fine. We've been jammin' a lot with a bunch of different people. It gives me awesome ideas."

"That sounds nice." She pauses like she's unsure about whether she should ask what she's thinking about. She wrings her hands, but finally asks, "Are you planning on moving out after your birthday?”

He stares at her like he doesn't understand the question, even though he clearly hears her. He’s never seen his mother look so anxious, though he sort of understands why she might be worried. He’s almost never at home—whenever he has free time he’s always with Joe. In fact he can’t remember the last time he spent more than a few passing minutes with his mom in the last month.

She shifts nervously. "After everything last month with Joe, you've practically been living with him already. I just—Honey, I need to know if that's what you're planning on doing."

"Mom—Mom, slow down, I'm not moving anywhere. The thought never even crossed my mind. I'm just hanging out at Joe's because that's where he is, not because I want to move there.” He’s totally flustered by her assumption, but he wraps his arm around her shoulders trying to reassure her. “I promise I’m not going anywhere. Besides my birthday's not for a couple of months, don't go jumping to conclusions, you've got me for a little while longer."

She looks beyond relieved and she pulls him in tighter, circling both her arms around him. When she relaxes, her eyes look a little misty, but she smiles. "Okay, so play me what you're working on."

***

He can’t stop thinking about the conversation he had with his mother—can’t stop thinking about what made her think he wanted to move out. A few days later he's lying on Joe's bed watching an old movie—when he tells Joe about his conversation with Mom. "She was all nervous and panicked like I was half-packed and had one foot out the door. I know I'm gonna be eighteen, but it doesn't mean I'm ready to move out."

Joe flips around so he's lying on his stomach too, face next to Nick's on his folded pillow. "She's just being Mom. She worries."

Joe's face is really close, and Nick can feel the soft whisper of his breath as he exhales.

"You know if you wanted to move in here, you can. Open invitation."

His chest tightens because he almost wants to say yes. Not that he wants to get away from his parents, he loves them more than anything, but seeing how happy Joe is, how grown up he's become living on his own, makes Nick want that too.

Mostly, he just wants to be with Joe. And that kind of scares him.

They stay staring at each other, only inches apart, until the sound from the movie breaks their trance and they both roll away.

***

Nick's at Joe's again on a weekday night. Neither of them have call until late morning and Nick wants to work on a song they've been playing around with for the last week or so. It's almost right, but it still needs something and Nick's determined to figure out what.

They’re in Joe’s room, though Jack and Garbo aren’t home. Nick’s been singing the lyrics for the same four measures of music for the last twenty minutes, but nothing has changed and it still doesn’t sound right.

“Joe—Joe are you even listening? You’re not helping at all; we’re supposed to be working on this together.”

Joe’s lying on his back, his head hanging off the side. “I told you what you had to do, take it down a bit, you’re singing so high it sounds like you’ve been castrated.” Joe shoves at his leg. “Is that it, Nicky? You been snipped?” Joe proceeds to sing a note in a ridiculous high falsetto, while trying not to laugh.

Setting his guitar aside, he lunges at Joe, “I’ll show you snipped!” He and Joe roll on the bed, wrestling until he’s got Joe pinned. He’s holding Joe’s wrists and his legs are astride Joe’s hips. They’re both breathing heavily and Nick realizes he can feel Joe’s dick, half-hard, pressing against his own cock.

He gasps sharply—he should get off Joe—but he’s frozen in place, staring down at the bulge in Joe’s jeans. He gasps again, whispering ‘oh God’ under his breath. Finally—finally—he starts to shift away. Joe grabs at his hips, though, not letting him go. His dick aches, thick in his jeans. Whining Joe's name, he tries to lift up, though only succeeding in creating more friction.

Joe's looking at him with dark eyes, pupils blown wide, biting his lip raw. His grip loosens on Nick's hips, but only so he can shift up and press his lips to Nick's.

He kisses Joe back, hesitant and unsure. Joe's nipping at his lower lip, sending little intense shocks through his body making his mouth fall open. Shuttering out a weak sigh, he lets Joe's tongue slide in. He tastes like coffee and caramel and all Nick can think is that he should not know what the inside of his brother’s mouth tastes like. He whimpers, sliding his hands up Joe's arms from where they still were loosely cupping his wrists and settles them on his shoulders. Being this close to Joe, sharing the same breath, makes him desperate to drag him even closer and shove his hands under Joe’s clothes. Joe punches his hips up and when his dick presses snug against his own, Nick realizes just exactly what he’s letting happen.

He shuffles back, breaking the kiss and pulling out of Joe's reach. Joe whines petulantly.

Shaking, he looks pleadingly at Joe, who is still trying to drag him back into his lap. "Joe. Joe. What are we doing?"

Staring at Joe's lips, they’re puffy and red from kissing, and there is a bulge so obviously stretching his pants. He almost leans forward to kiss him again.

Scared, he whispers, "Joe, what did we do?"

Joe's eyes focus more and he reaches for Nick, pulling him close, but not back onto his lap. "I don't know, Nick. I just had to kiss you." His hair's a mess and now he looks just as freaked out as Nick feels. "It didn't feel wrong. I—I want this Nick. I think I have for a long time."

He looks down, shocked to hear Joe say that. He realizes he's still hard, still aching for Joe to touch him. He thinks maybe he wants this too and he's too scared Joe will see it written all over his face.

He moves to get off the bed and Joe grabs his arm. "Nicky, don't go. Don't be mad at me."

Meeting Joe's gaze, he lets him see. "I'm not mad. I just need to think. I think I should go home."

Joe scurries forward, not willing to let Nick just leave.

"I'll text you when I get home, I promise." He gathers his things, shoving his feet in his shoes without tying them and doesn't look back at Joe, afraid he won't be able to leave if he sees how Joe's looking at him.

***

When he gets home, both his parents are out, not expecting Nick to be home tonight. The house is quiet and Nick goes right to his room. He flips his iHome on, setting the iPod to shuffle and lowers the volume so the music is barely audible while lying on his bed.

He tries not to think about what he and Joe did, but he keeps remembering the feel of Joe's lips on his, Joe's tongue in his mouth, the feel of Joe's body under his. He's hard again, stiff in his jeans. Before he even realizes, he's got his jeans open and shoved down and off, his hand wrapped around his full cock.

He thinks about Joe touching himself, his fist circled around the head of his dick, stroking fast, fingers slippery with pre-come. He moans loudly, squeezing his own cock tighter. His eyes have slipped shut and he can almost see Joe hovering over him, his dick hanging heavy and leaking as he touches Nick, Joe's fingers wrapping with his own until it's Joe's hand jerking him off.

His hips jerk up and pre-come slicks his fingers. The little uh-uh noises he was making have blurred into him chanting Joe's name. His palm is flying over his dick; he's so close, he hurriedly shuffles his feet up, heels digging into the mattress as he thrusts his hips off the bed. The head of his cock pops through the circle of his fist and spurts hot, wet over his belly. His dick twitches until he feels wrung out and raw.

As his breath settles he looks down at himself, dick softening against his thigh, shiny with come, he realizes he's just had the best orgasm he's ever had—thinking about his brother. He can't bring himself to think of any reason why he wouldn't want to do it for real.

***

Things are almost normal on set the next day. They work and when they're on break they play basketball and have lunch. Nick thinks he's caught Kevin looking at them funny a few times, but then he realizes he's just being paranoid. His biggest problem is he can't stop looking at Joe. His brother is giving him space, but they can't stop staring at each other. Nick tries to be discreet at first, but he finds that he just can't—wondering what it would be like to be skin to skin with him and have his hands on Joe's body.

It, eventually, makes Nick screw up a few of his lines, forgetting his cues and the blocking. The afternoon schedule takes longer than planned because of the repeated takes, but they eventually finish late in the day, the sun already starting to set.

It's Friday and before the events of last night, Nick had planned on hanging out with Joe. After changing into his regular clothes, he finds Joe hovering near the exit to the parking lot, obviously waiting for him.

"I didn't know if you still wanted to come over."

His hands shake and he fiddles with his satchel to hide the nervous twitch. "Uh, yeah, I was planning on it; unless you don't me want to."

Joe's flipping his key ring around his index finger. "No, no, definitely come over. I'll meet you at the house?"

He nods and hurries to his truck. When he pulls into Joe's driveway, he can see Joe's car already there. He turns off the engine and sits for a minute, before huffing out a long breath and getting out of the truck.

Joe must have been watching from inside, because as soon as he reaches the stoop Joe opens the door to let him in. Neither knows what to say and they stand awkward and fidgeting in the foyer. Finally, Joe's phone beeps and when he checks it, he says Garbo and John Taylor are heading over to the bowling alley around ten; do we want to meet them?

That was the plan, but Nick's not sure how this night is going to go. He tells Joe to text him back to say they'll play it by ear.

Joe looks surprised, but starts to type on his phone and they move out of the hallway. Instead of going to the living room, they head toward Joe's bedroom. His breath catches when he sees Joe's bed, a mess of navy sheets and the comforter half on the floor, like Joe hadn't slept in the bed after Nick left so quickly the night before. He drops his bag on the floor, choosing to sit on the bed instead of Joe's small couch.

He gestures for Joe to join him. Joe's nervous and cautious, sitting on the bed, but far enough away that there's no chance for them to accidentally touch.

Reaching for Joe's arm, he tugs him closer. "C'mere."

Joe's breath hitches. "Do you know what you're doing, Nicky?"

He blinks, looking at Joe's eyes, wide with concern. "I do. I know exactly what I'm doing, and unless you stop me I'm going to kiss you."

Joe doesn't move, just licks his lip, watching hungrily as Nick closes the distance between them and seals their mouths together.

It's even better than it was last night, warm lips on his, Joe's tongue in his mouth all hot and sloppy. Joe's shifting forward, pressing Nick back on the bed—touching his face, his neck, his chest.

Spreading his legs wide to let Joe settle between them, he moans. "Nnnnnngh. Joe, please, please."

It's a frenzy of clothing, as they shed their shirts and jeans, shoes plunking heavily to the floor. Through the thin cotton of Joe's boxer briefs, he can see Joe's dick, thick and leaking. It makes him want to put his mouth to the head and suck.

His fingers trace the dusting of dark hair that leads from just below Joe's navel to under the waistband of his underwear. Joe shivers as Nick's fingers hover barely grazing the wet spot on the front of his shorts.

He never thought he'd touch another guy like this—touch Joe like this—but his mouth floods with saliva and he wants nothing more. He pushes the elastic down, letting Joe's cock pop out flushed red and slicked with pre-come at the tip.

Joe’s elbows shake with the effort to stay hovering over him. Nick rolls them awkwardly; Joe's underwear still twisted around his thighs and settles himself over Joe. Joe's bigger than him and when he circles his fingers around the shaft he can't help but notice the difference.

A bead of pre-come spurts out and Nick can't help himself; he leans down and takes Joe into his mouth. He licks tentatively at first and then slides down, savoring the heaviness of Joe's cock against his tongue. He chokes a bit until he figures out how to breathe and then starts sucking while touching Joe's balls and stroking lightly at the base.

His own dick aches, sticky in his shorts. Joe's got his fingers twisted in his hair, and he glances up to see Joe's head thrown back, throat exposed as he moans shamelessly.

Joe's tugging at his hair. "Nick, Nick, so close."

Nick pulls off, a thin string of spit stretching from his mouth the head of Joe's dick until it breaks. He frantically shoves his boxers off, straddling Joe to line up their cocks. They thrust messily against each other. There's no rhythm and they try to kiss, but they knock teeth. They grab onto each other and just ride it out. Joe comes first and Nick quickly follows, spurting all over Joe's belly.

He collapses half on top of Joe and kisses him.

***

When he wakes up, he's not sure how late it is. The house seems quiet, so Joe's roommates probably aren't home yet, but it could also be the middle of the night.

He's thirsty and wishes he didn't have to move to get a glass of water. When he tries to roll off Joe, though, he realizes how gross they are, come dried between them, and all he wants is a shower.

Joe moans and starts to wake, and Nick sits up, watching him. He smiles when Joe wakens enough to realize the state they are in and scrunches his face up.

"Ugh. Nicky, I'm gross."

"Me too. I'm kinda thirsty and come to think of it hungry too."

Joe leans up on his elbows, and Nick notices appreciatively how his bicep muscle flexes. "We could order food if it's not too late. What time is it anyway?"

He glances at Joe's alarm clock and realizes it's not very late at all. "Just after nine."

"Hmm, good. We'll order food and get cleaned up."

Joe still hasn't touched him or really even looked at him. It makes his stomach clench and he shrinks a bit on the bed. When he doesn't answer Joe, he finally looks up. "Nicky, you all right?"

He shrugs, pulling his knees up so he doesn't feel so exposed. Joe's up, sitting next to him, touching his face.

He has to clear his throat, but meets Joe's questioning gaze. "We're alright, right?"

Joe shuffles closer on his knees. "Of course we are. I mean, I definitely am. You too, right?"

The tensions release and Nick smiles, "Yeah, I am."

Joe ducks in to kiss him and Nick stops him, saying, "You know this won't be easy."

"We'll figure it out."

The confidence in Joe's voice makes him want to press Joe onto the bed and kiss him senseless, but his stomach growls distracting him from his thoughts.

Joe laughs and pats Nick's belly. "Come on, I'll order the food and you go and get the shower running. I'll be right there to join you."

Joe grabs his phone, and Nick walks toward the bathroom. He glances back, watching Joe scroll on his phone. He waits to feel weird about what they did, and he finds that he doesn't feel weird at all. In fact, for the first time in months he feels really happy. He grins to himself and heads to the shower to wait for Joe, hoping the food will take quite a while to be delivered.


End file.
